Roller side bearing



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,859.

v A. B. SEVERN.

ROLLER SIDE BEARING.

FILED JAN-19.1922.

.IN VENTOI? WITNESSES Patented Feb. 27, 1923;

UNITED STATES PATENT?- OFFICE.

ARTHUR 1B. SEVERE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO A. STUCK]:

COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA A CORPORATION 01? PENNSYL- VANIL- BOLLER SIDE BEARING-- a Roller Side Bearings, of which the follow ing is a specification.

This invention relates to anti-frlctlon side bearings for railway cars, and has for its objects the provision of a bearing of this type in which the roller is self-centering, in which the liabilityof the roller developing flat spots or recesses on its circumference, or the track upon which the roller runs becoming rough or recessed, thus interfering with the free travel of the rolling element, is prevented, and in which the roller gravitates to the center of its track under its own weight immediately after contact between the cage and roller is. broken, that is, as soon as the body of the car lifts sufficiently to breakcontact with the roller.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a removable wear plate for the cage which is held in place by the positioning of the cage, and to provide a side bearing which obviates the necessity of using any special devices for moving the roller, either into operative or inoperative positions.

A special object of the invention is to provide a roller side bearing in which the roller will be retained within its cage regardless of the degree of vertical clearance betweenthe parts, and in which the roller though freely mounted will not be lost under abnormal clearances between the truck and body bolsters, or even if the truck bolster be entirely broken away in case of a wreck.

It is also a special object to provide means whereby the roller will be self-centering, regardless of the degree of clearance whereby the bearing will function more eflectively, and it is still a further object to provide bcarin surfaces which will be so associated with t e remaining parts as to obviate the necessity of providing special means to keep them free of foreign matter. Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will function as a plain bearing in case the roller should become broken.

These and other objects will more read ily appear when taken in connection with the claims.

In the accom anyin drawin Fi' 1 is a side elevation 3f the p referred ei nbodiment of the Invention; Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view through the same; and Fig. 3 a transverse sect onal View with parts in elevation taken at right angles to that of Fig. 2.

The embodiment of the invention shown comprises a cage having the depending side walls 2, 2, end walls 3 and' l, and is provided with perforated ears or lugs 5 for attaching the same to the body bolster 6 as by boltin indicated at 7 and is also provided with t e strengthening ribs 7 A shoulder or ledge 8 is formed on the side and end walls which is attached to support and retain the'upper bearing plate 9 and its backing plate 9' in close contact with the bolster 6.

The dimensions of both the cage and backing plate gradually increase from one side to the other, asclearly shown in Fig. 3, so as to accommodate the parts to the inclination of the body bolster, and at the same time present a substantially horizontal bearing surface to the cylindrical roller 10 which rides upon a lower bearing plate or track 11, mounted on the truck bolster 12, and attached thereto as by riveting indicated at 13.

The truck bolster is provided with two separate bearing surfaces disposed in different horizontal planes, the higher one being formed by a raised intermediate portion 14, on which the bearing plate 11 1s suported, and the lower marginal bearing suraces indicatedat 15 and 15. The opposite ends 16 and 17 of the lower bearing plate 11 are flat for a short distance whence they slope downwardly towards and merge into a central flat portion 18, so as to render the roller self-centering.

The length of roller 10 is slightly less than the distance between the side walls 2 and 2', and is absolutely free, being normally supported by merely resting upon the track 11 and is perfectly free to gravitate under its 100 own weight towards the flat central portion 18 whenever the upper bearing plate 9 is out of contact therewith.

The lower edges of the depending walls 2, 2' are provided portions 19, 19 which normally lie below the bearing sur ace of the track 11, and are disposed in alignment with the bearing sur-'- faces 15, 15', the intermediate raised portion.

14 with the attached plate 11 extending up- 110 with inturned flanged wardly between the flanges. Both the top mounted to facilitate replacement and bottom faces of flanges 19, 19 are adapt-- ed to function as auxiliary bearing surfaces, the top faces being inclined downwardly towards their central portion in a manner similar to the bearing plate 11, while their bottom faces are stral ht so as to cooperate with the straight bearing surfaces 15', 15'.

The walls 2, 2' prevent lateral movement .of the roller, the walls 3 and 4 limit its rolling movement along the bearing plates 9 and 11, and the flanges I9, 19 prevent ts escaping from thecage.

The flanges 19, 19 on the depending walls 2, 2'of the cage are in. alignment with the faces of the marginal bearings 15, 15' so that the bottom faces of the flanges abut and cooperate with the surfaces 15, 15' to function as a plain-bearing in case-of breakage of the roller 10.

In the embodiment illustrated the surfaces 15, 15' are shown as a part of the truck bolster and flanges 19, 19 as formed integrall with the cage, but it is tobe understood however, that such port-ions maybe in the form of separate and independent mem-" bers, if desired.

Each of the bearin plates is formed independently so that t e same may. be made of material possessing high wear-resisting qualities without adding greatly to the cost of manufacture, and each is if desired or necessary.

The cage is provided with'openings 20 in its end walls which cooperate with its open bottom so as'to permit relative movement between the parts mounted upon the truck and body bolsters, and which also prevents foreign matter from accumulating within the cage. Openings 21 and 22 are also provided in the side walls, the top of the opening 22 being flush with the bearing plate 9 for observation purposes; 1 i

In the construction illustrated, no'spe'cial provision'is required to rid the lower bear:

lng surface of foreign materials due to the raised central portlon 14 and the unobstructed sides of margins 15, 15, all for elgn substances escaplng therefrom under,

the influence of gravity.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The upper and lower bearin mally at such a distance that the flanges 19, 19' lie ing surface of plate 11 and roller 10- rests upon the flat portion 18. Whenever the car plates are norbody sways downwardly a sufficient distance the upper bearing plate 9 is. brought into contact with the roller 10 and any swivelling' movement of the truck will cause the roller to'ride up on the inclinedend portions of the bearing plate .11. As soon as the. body lifts, contact between the bearing plate 9 is broken, permitting the roller-to gravitate 'ciently far the flanges 19,

from the bearing removably uniform wear of both the end shocks,

to the body; om each' other below-the bearw central portion to center the same;

was see under its own weight back to the flat central portion 18. The return of the roller occurs immediately upon the lifting of the body and without the use of any auxiliary mec lanism or parts. This quick turn without the use of lost motion devices is found to be of great practical importance, and in a plicants V construction.-

I Should the car body swlay upwardly sufli- 9! into contact with roller 10 and lift the same position thereon. As soon as contact between the roller 10 and plate 11 isbroken,

device is secured by a very simp e w1ll be brought plate 11, regardless"of its due to the inclination of the flanges towards; their central portions, the roller will graviv tate thereto, rolling downwardly upon-the .topbearing surfaces of the flangesso as. to

be properly centered whenever normal clearjance between the body and truck is restored.

Shouldthe roller become broken and the car body approach the truck, the flanges-19, 19'

and surfaces 15, 15 will cooperate \and function as a plainbearing as above described. Due to the fact that the flat centralv portions are of appreciable length, the roller 10 will not always come-to rest at the same point, but at various points throughout their length, and will rest its periphery, thus assuring substantially bearing surfaces and .the roller. Besides, thev roller itself when thrown against the end walls by severe will rotate somewhat to present new lines of contact. Under ordinary conditions of operation the roller 10 merely traverses the extent of the inclined and central flat portions of the bearing late 11. that at t e time one of the end walls 3 or 4 abuts the roller, it will have travelled the full extent of the inclined portion. Consement between the upper and lower-bearing parts will cause the roller upon the flat extremities16 ing in the manner of a plain bearing.

trated and described with'the cage attached it is obvious that the flanges 19,

upon various parts of lot The parts are so designed to be slidlbodily 'l and 17 functionj I Although the invention has been illus- 19 upon the cage would eflectively confine 1 the roller and prevent its escape therefrom, should the mounting of the parts be reversed, in whichinstance the bearingupon which the roller normally rests will be inclined from its opposite ends towards a flat The bearing described is of simple construction, is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to repair, is very durable, is quickly I'G-J sponsive and self-centening, contains a minimum number of parts, is construetedto me vent accumulation of dirt and foreign substances upon the bearin surfaces, precludes the escape of the rol er upon abnormal clearances between the parts, and effectively. functions as a plain bearing in case the roller shouldbecome broken..

I claim:

1. A side bearing for railway cars comprising upper and lower bearing plates, a free roller interposed therebetween, a cage associated with one of said plates for retaining the roller in position, the cage be-, ing provided With lateral flanges partially embracing the roller to prevent escape thereof during abnormal clearance between the bearing plates, said flanges being inclined towards their central portion to render the roller self-centering thereon.

2. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower bearing plate, an upper bearing plate, a free roller interposed therebetween, a cage supporting the latter plate and embracing the roller, the cage being so formed that a portion thereof normally extends below the bearing surface of the lower plate, but is adapted to contact the roller to prevent escape ofthe roller during abnormal clearance between said plates, \the lower 'plate being inclined downwardly towards its central part. v

3. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower bearing plate, an independent removable upper bearing plate. a free self-centering roller interposed therebetween, a cage supporting the upper'plate for confining the roller in position, the cage being so formed that a portionthereof normally extends below the bearing surface ofsaid lower plate but is adapted to contact the roller to prevent escape thereof during abnormal clearance between said plates.

4. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower bearing plate, an independent removable upper bearing plate, a free self-centering roller interposed there-between, a cage supporting the upper plate for confining the roller in position, the sides of the cage being formed with inwardly directed flanges normally disposed below the\ bearing surface of the lower plate and out of contact with the roller. but adapted tocontact said roller and prevent escape thereof during abnormal clearance between the plates.

5. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower bearing pl ate, an independent removable upper bearing plate, a free self-centering roller interposed therebetween, a cage supporting the upper plate for confining the roller in position, the sides of the cage being formed with inwardly directed flanges normally disposed below the bearing surface of the lower plate and out of contact with the roller but adapted to contact said roller and prevent escape thereof during abnormal clearance between the plates, said flanges being inclined downwardly towards their central portions to center the roller.

6. A side bearing for railway cars comprising a lower bearing plate, an independent removable upper bearing plate, a free self-centering roller interposed therebe' tween, a cage supporting the upper plate for confining the roller in position, the sides of the cage being formed with inwardly directed flanges normally disposed below the bearing surface of the lower plate and out of contact with the roller but adapted to contact said roller and prevent escape thereof during abnormal clearance between the plates, both the lower bearing plate and said flanges being inclined downwardly towards their central portions to center the roller.

7. A side bearing for railway cars comprising an upper bearing plate, a lower bearing having two sets of bearing surfaces disposed in different horizontal planes, a free self-centering roller interposed between said plate and the higher of said bearing surfaces, a cage embracing the roller the depending sides of which are provided with inturned flanges disposed beneath the roller and normally positioned below said higher surface so as to be out of contact with the roller during normal clearances, but adapted to contact and lift the same during ab normal clearances, both the said higher surface and the upper surface of the inturned flanges being inclined towards their central portions, and the lower surface of the inturned flanges being disposed opposite the a lower of said horizontal surfaces.

8. A side bearing for railway cars comprising upper and lower bearing plates, a free roller interposed therebetween, a cage associated with one of said plates for retaining the roller in position, the other of said plates having outer extremities and a central portion all of which are flat, said outer flat extremities being adapted to function as plain bearings after the. roller contacts the end of the cage and inclined por- Witness EDWIN O. JOHNS.

tions connecting each of the said extremities 

